Insight into our Art

I wasn't sure which forum to put this on but this one appears to be the most active and I wanted to share it with all of you in the hopes that others will share insights in a similar vein they have gathered and that have positively affected their life and work.

I just finished re-reading Marguerite Wildenhain’s wonderful book for the first time in 25 years. It is an amazing book full of insight and observations on her life as a potter and teacher. She was at the world famous Bauhaus in Germany before the Nazi’s came to power. She escaped to California and established Pond Farm in Sonoma County where she had her studio and summer school. Many renowned and successful potters studied with her.

The book is full of her philosophy on art and pottery, the following one spoke very loudly to me and I thought it was well worth sharing:

“Some days everything seems dark, hopeless and full of negative self-criticism, for nothing, no matter how hard one tries will develop as form – but there are days when an angel seems to have touched you with his wing – life is then radiant, work flows easily out of a mysterious source that is barely of your own making, that carries you way beyond what you could make yesterday, and a beautiful piece of work is born under your trembling soul. Be grateful. It does not happen often. “

I can't remember if I got this statement from one of the forums or from some other source, but either way I thought it was worth repeating as it falls into the inspirational caregory for me. I plan to turn it into a nicely done graphic and put it in the gallery room at our new studio.

great! makes me want to put that up in my show booth..maybe a pared down version, most people have a 12 word attention span, lol

whenever i am considering a new venue, gallery, wholesale account or what ever, i think to myself, " am i willing to give this person 40-50% of my blood, and flesh?"...quite often the answer has been no, and ive never regretted, and the yes's always seem to work out well (knock knock)

another quote from my studio wall-

"We are not what we know, but what we are willing to learn" - Mary Catherine Bateson

I am a big fan of Hamada-have read most of his stuff-I have some tools of his as well as his life work poster of his retrospective show when he was alive in . My brother got me one in Japan at the time of show.
Much influence has come my way from him.
Mark

he was talking about how he would work and work, regardless...and occasionally the Muse bestows a gift...similar the above sentiment i think...i'm finding it to be true anyway

Very nice and indeed you do have to show the Muse you are serious!

Just to draw in another medium, Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) has a fabulous TED talk on this subject http://www.ted.com/t..._on_genius.html - well worth listening to/watching. The idea that random flashes of genius do not wholly come from us, but that we have to present ourselves to work in order to receive them....

Great stuff from TED. I just watched it. I was lucky enough to go to TED several years ago and it is indeed a life changing event. While there were many highlights to the 4 days, I would have to say watching and listening to Natalie Merchant sing "Kind and Generous" to Bill Gates like there was no one else in the room and specifically to thank him for the wonderful work he is doing post Microsoft was definitely the highlight of the event.

I wanted to add this wonderful observation about one for the Grande Dames of contemporary pottery which I read recently. This should warm any functional potter’s heart:

"Her work is included in private collections and museums, but she hopes it is mostly found in numerous kitchen cabinets." About Cynthia Bringle – Penland, NC

I was really surprised this topic did not get more discussion or input. I think that clay is a very Zen like pursuit and when you are truly in the “moment” is when you do your best work. I am reading a book about Winston Churchill and read this quote of his last night. “Success is going from one failure to another without losing enthusiasm.”

It is so on target for clay. We often forget for example when a pot comes out of the kiln and the glaze is beautiful, but it has run and the foot is a mess - most of us deem it a failure. When in fact it is this failure that leads us to continue to experiment and get beautiful glaze right.